Ugly water spots are one of the common problems most stainless steel sink owners keep complaining about. Unknown to most people, these marks are caused by hard water.
You need to know how to get keep these marks from forming on your sink and how to get rid of them as soon as they show up.
If you let them sit for long, they’ll become harder to remove and rob your sink of its pristine looks and give it a dull look.
How to prevent water spots on stainless steel sink
Keep your sink dry
Water spots when water touching your sink surface isn’t removed. Every time you use your sinks, use a dry cloth to remove all the leftover water. Leaving the water undrained and it dries into a stain that gets harder to remove with time.
Clean your sink regularly
Giving good care to your stainless steel sink by regularly cleaning it can help prevent water spots from forming. You can use natural, non-abrasive cleaning agents like vinegar which leaves your sink sparkling clean and spotless.
You can also use a commercial sink cleaner to do the cleaning.
How often to clean your stainless steel sink? We suggest doing it every time you use your sink.
Get a sink protector
A stainless steel protector can also keep off water spots from forming on your sink. The best protector eliminates any direct between water and the surface of your sink, keeping it water spots-free at all times.
Do you use dish mats?
If you use a dish mat when washing your dishes, you should always ensure you remove it when you’re done with the dishes. This is because it tends to trap water underneath which then forms stubborn water spots if not cleaned on time.
How to remove water spots on stainless steel sink
Water spots can still find a way to develop on your sink even after you have followed the above preventive measures.
If this happens, you just follow any of the two methods discussed below to remove the stains and leave your sink spotless.
1. White vinegar and baking soda
Most homeowners rely on these readily available kitchen ingredients to keep their sinks spot-free. If you don’t have vinegar within reach, you can use lemon juice in its place as both are acidic in nature.
This is how you use these two ingredients to eliminate spots:
Step 1. Spray the white vinegar or lemon juice throughout your sink. Make sure you cover the outer sides of your sink as well. Give the vinegar roughly 5 minutes to enable it to work out its magic.
The acidic reaction of the vinegar or lemon juice is the secret behind using this method. It breaks down hard water stains to leave you with a shiny, spot-free stainless steel sink
Step 2. Once the vinegar has settled for 5 minutes, sprinkle small amounts of baking soda all over your sink. You should expect a fizzing action as baking soda comes into contact with vinegar/lemon juice.
Step 3. When no more fizzing occurs, grab a soft sponge and properly scrub your sink to see if the spots are gone.
TIP: If this method doesn’t work for the first time, you might consider repeating 2-3 more times and see it gets rid of the spots.
2. Olive oil
The olive oil method is great for working on water spots that have been sitting on your sink for a long and become stubborn to remove with the vinegar and baking soda method.
This is how you use olive oil to remove the spots:
1. Fold a paper towel and apply a small amount of olive oil onto it. Squish it around to ensure it gets well soaked all over the paper.
2. Use this soaked towel to wipe your sink, applying more pressure where the spots are showing. During the wiping, make sure you move in the direction of the stainless steel grain to ensure you don’t leave your sink looking uglier than it already is.
The grain refers to brush marks you see on your stainless steel sink when you look at it closely.
3. Wipe off excess oil using a paper towel. If you like, you can use a new paper towel for this part.
Conclusion
Water spots on stainless steel are simply hard water stains. You can prevent them from forming by regularly cleaning your sink, keeping it dry, or using a sink protector. If the spots have already formed, you can easily remove them using either vinegar/lemon juice and baking or olive oil method. These two methods will help keep your stainless steel sink spotless and ensure it maintains good looks at all times.